The alchemist in the castle
by AiEnma21
Summary: Edward Elric finally got a lead that could take him back home. However, not all the Gates have one exclusive destination. Work in progress
1. Chapter 1

_N/A: So, this is my first attempt at writing something for FMA... and Howl's moving castle. Weird, isn't it? I was listening to the soundtrack of both the movie and the '03 anime and... Bum! The idea popped out. I don't have the idea where it will go, though. This is my first fic in English (it's not my first language), so my characters may sound a bit OOC (hope not too much). Grammar and such may be an issue, too, but I try to review and correct before submitting. Please, review if you please!_

 _As a final comment, I'd like to say that I'm focused on the HMC movie, not in the books. And I prefer the FMA '03 context to this story, prior to the Shambala arc. I didn't like it too much, so I'm avoiding it. Sorry, not sorry. Of course, neither FMA nor HMC belongs to me. If that was the case, I would have combined them since a long time ago._

As he fell, he waited for the outcome of his insensate expedition. He did not want to miss the only opportunity that was beside him. It took him a long time to reach this almost imperceptible zone, charged with an energy that was not supposed to exist in this world. The blond young man sold out all his belongings and cut off any communication with all his new friends. The goal was to reach that little dot on the map, coming back to the site where he ended a mission a few months ago… Maybe the storms would get him before he arrived at the little cave in the wastelands where he felt the little pang that remembered him the reason of his permanence in this shallow, empty, meaningless world.

The Gate.

He could feel a resemblance of the Gate inside that cave.

It was a weak impulse at first. But day after day the sensation grew up inside his chest, blocking any possibility of sleep. He learned over the years to resign and make the best of the situation: alchemy was not possible in this world. He would not have any way to come back. He spent almost three years looking for any clue, any chance, any little piece of hope, without results. He read a lot about science lasts novelties, but, after discovering the impossibility of forcing the laws of physics, he gave up… Until now.

What was his life supposed to be if he resigned before trying one more time?

He had to stand up and keep walking. That was the purpose of having legs, right?

His prosthetic limbs complicated the journey to the cave. He cherished them since they were the best artifacts available in Europe, but he could not avoid the memories of his automail. Even more with the harsh terrain, he was walking on now. Sadly, the weight of his backpack did not help him at all. The young man sweated heavily defying the cold wind that reached these heights.

It was time to rest since the sun was occulting between the mountains. A full moon started its journey through the sky. Reclining over a plain rock, he reached his left hand towards the stars. He wondered if the constellations would be the same ones that his little brother would see on a night like this one. He could not remember if that was the case.

"Hope this works, Al", he murmured.

He did not know for certain what would he do when he entered the cave. He kept the sensation of the Gate calling him inside his chest, and it was getting stronger each second. However, he had not practiced anything related with alchemy in years. He remembered the theory, but have no means to put it in action, he feared that his skills would have decayed over the time. He hoped for an instinctive plan emerging from his head as needed, but he knew that he should not count on it. The times when Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, saved the day with instinct and wits, were gone.

However, it was impossible for him to wait anymore. He took a deep breath and went inside the cave with firm steps. Dark, narrow and humid, the cave was not a welcoming environment at all. He did not care: this was nothing compared with the night that started all the madness in his life, so he kept walking.

Suddenly, a huge light emerged from the ground. It was a circle of transmutation that he had not seen in his life. It was a simple array, though. Brightness took over the petrous enclosure as he felt the ground disappearing under his feet. He shouted out desperately, trying to reach anything to hold himself. Within a few seconds, the force under him dragged him into the unknown.

Edward Elric woke up by the tiredness of laying over a pile of rocks all the night. After stretching and checking that he had no harm, he noticed their prosthetic limbs were gone. Well, that was a sign that proved he went through the Gate… at least that was the idea he dug his nails in. A bit confused, he tried to resemble his surroundings as he glanced anything around him. It was the wastelands, again?

Not quite. There was undergrowth emerging between piled rocks of different sizes. Neither trees nor animals of any type were at his sight. Clouds threatened with the possibility of a powerful storm in a few hours. However, colors did not seem the same as before in the wastelands he did know as the palm of his hand. Probably it had to be related with the irregular illumination coming from the skies… Sunlight escaped from the smallest free spaces where clouds collided, giving useless clues about the hour. Morning, maybe?

Edward did not have time to meditate anymore about this new location because a completely surreal object was coming over out of nowhere. It seemed like an improvised building, with overlapping rooms on all sides. There were some pipes over here and there, making the construction even more confusing. It was clear the architect behind this atrocious creation lacked a decent budget… or good taste, at least. But Edward knew better. He rubbed his golden eyes as he tried to hide his amusement, seeing why the strange structure appeared to get closer at each second.

The building had some sort of metallic chicken legs. And it walked slowly towards him.

"What the heck is this?! I need to get out of here!", Edward thought worriedly. That would have been a piece of cake with two legs, even if one of them was fake. But in his current situation, he was unable to move. Time was running out as the building was a bit closer. He tried to draw an array to protect himself, but his hand was trembling too much. Undoubtedly, crossing the Gate consumed a lot of energy. He had not enough strength to even crawl on the ground…

Suddenly, the building stopped at a few meters from Edward. Just until then he noticed the little stoop at the end of the structure. It had a wooden, dark door and a little lamp, just like any normal home. He was confused but kept his brave mask on. Whatever would happen, he would not look defeated before a battle.

The little door went open and a little old man looked out behind it. He was wearing a blue coat and his gray, silky beard, covered most of his body. His eyes looked tired as the ones of a man that has seen everything that can be seen in the world. His gaze made an utter contrast with the golden flames emanating from the young one on the ground.

"No limbs? That's new for a lackey of Madam Suliman. She's getting better at disguises but pity will never work with him…", the old man considered.

"Let him in!", a little voice was coming from the inside. "The castle want him as a guest. And it never makes a mistake, right? At least I don't."

"Hmm… Even if it's a threat, I can handle it. A short boy with only two limbs should not be a problem", said the old man.

"Who did you call a shorty who's so small that he's barely visible and hard to target?!" Apparently, the rant was too much for Edward. His exhausted body did not take any more.

He fainted.

"C'mon, Markl, just bring him inside", said the little voice.


	2. Chapter 2

_N/A: so, this thing is still going on! I want to express my gratitude to the two people so far that are following and faved this poor attempt of writing in another language. That's the main reason of keeping my chapters short, but don't worry. This will be completed no matter how long it takes. Any feedback is well received._

 _-o-o-o-_

When Edward woke up, he was lying on a green sofa at the center of the place. There was a rusty blanket covering him, providing a disgusting fragrance. As soon as he cleared himself up, he concluded there was no one else in the chaotic room. It seemed that a ravenous mob would have messed up the entire place. The few furniture was saturated with disgusting dishes, wrinkled papers, and endless piles of books. A thick layer of dust covered the floor, the furniture and even the scarce pictures on the wall. The only door visible looked like the entrance, it had a strange whirl next to it, almost reaching the ceiling. It was divided into four sections, separated by color. There was a fireplace by the door that had probably received him, and in that place rested the only source of light.

Edward narrowed, suspicious. It had been clear by the previous situation that he was not perceived a host but as a potential enemy. If that was the case, why was no one around to guard him? He realized his current state: the old man had implied that he was no threat without his limbs. Maybe he thought of him as a weak, pitiful child.

 _"_ _Poor Grandpa! He has no idea!"_ , he thought. But how about him? He was not even sure if he was in back in his world. Given the circumstances, it was obvious that a physical attack was a poor option. If the occupants of this building had bad intentions, he would have to protect himself by other means. His priority was to determine if he could perform alchemy in that place.

 _"_ _There is no chalk around… anything to write…"_ , Ed thought, inspecting his immediate surroundings, _"but, I wouldn't be a State Alchemist if I wouldn't have mastered the art of improvising, right?",_ a confident grin was in his face. Quickly, he used his finger to draw a simple array over the dust on the floor. Nothing fancy, just strong enough to test his abilities. Ed took a deep breath as he concentrated. In that rudimentary array was accumulated his best hopes.

He put his hand over the array and…

"Hey! Stop with that! Do you want to destroy the castle or what?" came a little voice. Ed looked around, astonished. Where did that voice come from? He sat down and tried to find the little annoyance.

"Over here, in the fireplace!"

Ed was convinced that he was losing his mind. "The fire talked to me?", he blinked perplexed.

"Of course I did. Come here! You better hurry up, little one. I can't see you quite clearly from my place."

"Hey! Who's calling me a short little shrimp you can't ever see?" Enraged, Edward stood up and moved forward his only foot to face his tormenter. Quickly, he surpassed the piles of books and random objects that interrupted his pace, and reached the fireplace, frowning to the little flame over an old lug. "As if you were so tall, anyway".

The fireball popped out a pair of narrowing eyes and a mouth was apparent by the line separated between the sparks.

"I'm no little! I'm a powerful fire demon! I'm Calcifer!" shouted the flame.

Edward did not let his astonishment obstruct his sense of humor. A little flame trapped in the middle of a domestic war zone, a fire demon? Geez…

"You don't say? I didn't know that fire demons would need to be surrounded by such disgraceful conditions…"

Ed did not know a goddamn thing about supposed 'fire demons', but he had to bluff that little nuisance. The arrogant tones of the flame were getting him irked too quickly for his standards.

"Oh, you don't believe me, do you? How about this? You tell me who you are and I'll show you my powers!". Two bits of flame emerged from Calcifer. It seemed he could improvise some arms at his will. Two useless arms, since they were agitating in a sort of menacing gesture.

Edward had nothing to lose. Even if he had spent three years far from Amestris, he realized the chances of finally reaching home being low. Souls did not attach to something unable to be marked with a seal. And fire demons did not exist at all in any of the dimensions he had lived in so far.

"I'm Edward Elric…" What else was he supposed to say? 'Fullmetal Alchemist', 'former dog of the military, 'interdimensional traveler'? He could not find the adequate words to fulfill his answer.

Calcifer grinned and said in a suspicious tone.

"I see. That's your name. But who are you?"

" _Damn… this guy is almost as bad as the Gate itself_ ", Edward thought.

"Well, I'm a traveler, but I got lost and…"

"A traveler with only two limbs and no way to transport himself? _Sure_." Calcifer inspected him with his curious eyes. "You're lost, that's granted… but in more ways than the geographical one".

 _"_ _No way",_ the blond thought, " _he must be bluffing too"._

"What do you mean?" Edward tried to dominate the situation by looking confident, putting his hand on the waist and pulling out his chest. Unfortunately, he lost his balance hitting the floor with a thud.

"That's an impressive demonstration of your abilities as a disabled traveler, you Marvelous Adventurer!" the fire chuckled. "But there are things you can't hide from a fire demon, like your lack of civil manners… or your true origin. As I said, you're lost, but the way back to your world surely is a complicated one. Don't worry, I can help you to get out of this dimension, only if you help me with a little business I have to complete before you go".

Edward blinked in surprise, petrified on the floor. Should he trust in that arrogant fireball? He did not have any idea of the structures placed in this world and maybe he was facing a true danger in disguise. However, the self-proclaimed fire demon had acknowledged his current predicament in a bit and offered an exchange for the help he surely needed.

"Equivalent exchange, huh?" Ed thought out loud.

"Yeah, that is the idea. You must present something of equal value to gain something, don't you?"

Ed felt relieved. At least there was someone outside his world that had the concept clear. In Europe, the equivalent exchange was merely a vague principle, rarely taken to practice. If this… Calcifer, did he say, was putting his arrangement in terms of equivalent exchange, Edward assumed that was a motive to trust him. However, he would not get down his guard. He stood up again and took a sit over a pile of books.

"What do you want me to do? I can't sign a deal without knowing if it's equivalent or not."

"It's quite simple. I have a curse over me. It will be broken by one and only one person. A young woman with silver hair. If you find her, I'll make sure you go home", Calcifer said plainly.

It sounded like another impossible searching mission, just like the Philosopher's Stone. Was his destiny to cross over that kind of challenges repeatedly? Ed sighed.

"What's the curse do you have?"

"Not telling"

"How I'm I supposed to find a woman to break a curse if I don't have the remote idea what are we dealing with?!"

Calcifer narrowed, converting his eyes in almost straight lines.

"That's the thing with curses and spells. Those who suffer them cannot tell a word about them. It's a mandatory rule of magic."

"Magic", Ed repeated incredulously, "not alchemy, but magic".

"I won't discuss on semantics" Calcifer was getting impatient, "but yes, magic. You see, I cannot flee outside this castle, nor talking about the specifics of my curse. That doesn't mean I won't help you with the task since both of us will highly benefit from the result. So, do we have a deal, Edward Elric?"

A little flame hand reached out of the fireplace. Edward extended his hand, his little finger captured gently by the flamed little fingers.

"Deal".


	3. Chapter 3

If the windows were not polluted beyond any hope, down light would have entered to reach the young man sleeping on the couch. Covered by an old blanket, it seemed he was finally getting some rest.

"Is he gonna stay?" said the little boy who was coming down the stairs with big steps.

"I told you so: The Castle wants him" was the steady response. "He'll be a new apprentice and may be of help around here".

Markl snorted while putting away some books. "Sure. And now I'll have to compete with him. That's just perfect", as he ordered more stuff in piles, the surface of the table began to be visible, "I wonder about his age. He looks older than me, but it's doubtful since he's so small…"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET?!" Blanket, books, certain kid, and random stuff went off everywhere. The precious piles of books were history: they were scattered all over the floor.

Nobody noticed the disk over the door was moving, preceding the entrance of the castle's main resident. A tall figure covered in dust and burned oil made his way through the room. His confident smile did not disappear at the chaotic scene.

"I would appreciate if you wouldn't torment my friends," said the man with a soft voice, staring at the blond who was sitting on the floor, eyes on fire. "And you are… who?"

Calcifer answered for him. "He's your new apprentice starting today. He's got some talent! Last night, he was making an array of his own. I'm pretty sure you find him interesting!"

Edward quickly took his blanket to cover up but did not answer. This man was… strange, to say the least. It was not only because of the eccentric attire, or the blue, soft eyes that inspected the mess with a hint of joy. No… Inside his chest, Edward resurrected a feel he would never get used to.

The proximity of a Philosopher stone.

"Since you come from too far, it's obvious that you've never heard of me. Markl?" taking the cue, the boy cleared his throat and composed himself in what seemed like an essayed introduction.

"Welcome, stranger! You are in a place destined for a few, privileged people! This is the Moving Castle, home of the greatest sorcerer in all time! Howl, the master among wizards and witches!" Markl bowed while signaling his master with a respectful gesture.

Edward stared perplexedly. A man in a power position, with an inflated ego? _I guess Mustang is not the only one with megalomaniac tendencies… However, not even him would live in a dumpster like this._

"Nice to meet you. Edward Elric", said with a doubtful voice.

Howl stared at him, with a hint of glee in his eyes. "If you're going to be my apprentice, you need some clothes. And limbs. So, you were making an array of your own on my floor?"

"Yeah, it was a simple array, but they don't work outside the land where I come from". Sadness impregned Edward's words. Usually, he was good at hiding his feelings, even more, if he was around strangers. But he was not recovered yet from the physical and emotional strain produced in the past hours.

"That's not an issue. If you want, you will. The only condition here is to never use the Castle itself as a material source. You could have ripped the Castle in pieces just to make that horse sculpture you wanted".

To say Edward was astonished was an understatement. Howl read the array made in the dust by barely seeing it. Not only this, but he knew for certain the result of such array and had a restriction about using the Castle as a material source because of the implications of Equivalent exchange. Could it be possible that alchemy was possible here?

"Now, now. To stay here you need to pass a test. Markl, bring some fabric, please", the kid ran away at the command, as Howl explained. "I see you have talent in the theories, but I need to see the extent of your skills".

Markl returned with lots of fabric rags and put them on the floor. Edward's eye twitched as he felt a little offended. Seriously?

"You're going to make your own clothes. If you make it within a minute and a half, I'll give you some effective limbs. If you make it after that time lapse, at least you'll have some clothes to walk out of here and never cross my sight again. Go for it!", Howl said while throwing a chalk on the floor gently.

Edward did not lose time and started to make the perfect array for that purpose. Accustomed to just clap his hands, it was a tedious work. However, he was not in conditions to perform his alchemy in the usual way… and he had no way to know if it would work.

As Howl said, theory and practice were two different aspects of any skill. And he had not practiced alchemy in years… Besides, what if a theory was the same, but practical aspects of alchemy were not the same? He remembered the rumors about different types of alchemy, like Xingese alkhaestry…

 _No, I need to keep focused. I want, so I will._

Markl observed the young man with interest. "Calcifer, don't you think Howl went too far with the test?", murmured.

"He tests each person differently. Your test was pretty hard, too".

"I made a change of state! Nothing else! But here there are many factors to consider…"

"Markl, be quiet, please. Don't distract our guest", came the low tone from the other side of the room.

Meanwhile, Edward had finished his array. It was perfect, he knew it. He focused and took his hand to the drawing… keeping his fingers at a few millimeters from the array.

He could not do it.

What if he had lost his ability through the years? What if the Gate took his alchemy as a fare? What if…?

"You'll never know until you try", Howl's voice interrupted his line of thought.

Edward took a deep breath and placed his fingers in the array.

The chalk marks started to shine intensely, as the fabric rugs within the array began its transformation. To Edward, it was a new experience to see the transmutation process completely: the glow of the transmutation usually covered the materials, impeding to look. It seemed quite the contrary here. Rugs flying, changing color and composition, and finally assembling themselves in the design chosen by the alchemist.

Markl and Calcifer watched in wonder. Howl kept a smile of satisfaction on his face.

When the process concluded, new brand clothing laid on the floor. Black shirt, a pair of leather pants, an inner jacket, and a bright red coat. With a tone of amusement, Howl asked for the non-intended objects left within the circle:

"Boots, huh? Would you like to enlighten us about these?"

"That's easy", Edward said as he dressed, "I just changed the composition of that piece of polyester you put around here. Once that's completed, the rest is a piece of cake".

Howl could not contain a laugh.

"Excellent! Welcome to the Castle, then. You could learn one thing or two, Markl. Just a minor detail…"

Edward stopped in the middle of putting his coat on. "Huh?"

"Didn't you make your clothes too big for your size?", the wizard teased.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SMALL?!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 _A/N: thank you for the reviews, favs and follows of this story. It's a fluffy thing I don't know where it'll go. Hence the size of the chapters. If it's too OOC, sorry, not sorry. I want to be ridiculous once in a while. As I said before, I'm using this idea to improve my English writing, so grammar mistakes are highly probable. I apologize._


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